Austin news

• After harsh light, a cheaper version of EpiPen from Mylan

  16-12-2016 23:35 via kxan.com
  
  SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — Mylan is releasing a generic version of its emergency allergy treatment EpiPen at half the price of the branded option, the cost of which drew scorn from parents nationwide and spawned Congressional inquiries.
  The potential cost savings will depend in part on a patient’s insurance coverage and qualifications for discount and assistance programs that the drugmaker also provides.
  For Mylan, the benefit from its long-promised generic is more certain: I
  
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• APD DNA lab will not reopen, forensics chief removed

  16-12-2016 22:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department’s DNA Lab will not reopen following revelations that possibly thousands of samples are contaminated. The chief forensics officer hired only last month has been removed from his position after questions arose of his academic transcripts.
  Interim Police Chief Brian Manley said the department has failed in regards to their DNA operations, taking responsibility for the failure and promising to push forward so the community has a syst
  
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• APD DNA lab closed for foreseeable future, forensics chief removed

  16-12-2016 22:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is stopping efforts to reopen its DNA lab, following revelations that possibly thousands of samples are contaminated. The chief forensics officer hired only last month has been removed from his position after questions arose of his academic transcripts.
  Interim Police Chief Brian Manley said the department has failed in regards to their DNA operations, taking responsibility for the failure and promising to push forward so the comm
  
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• Republican governor in North Carolina signs law stripping incoming Democrat of some power

  16-12-2016 21:51 via kxan.com
  
  RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina Republicans stripped the incoming Democratic governor of some of his authority on Friday and were on the cusp of an even greater power grab, an extraordinary move critics said flies in the face of voters.
  Just last week, it appeared Republicans were ready to finally accept Democrats’ narrow win in a contentious governor’s race. As it turns out, they weren’t done fighting. In a surprise special session in the dying days of the old administ
  
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• Missing Kerr County woman was last seen in Buda

  16-12-2016 21:35 via kxan.com
  
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) — A woman missing from Kerr County was last seen early Friday morning in Buda.
  Janet Moseley, 73, was seen driving a red 2012 Honda Fit with Texas license plate DC1N846 at 1 a.m. in Buda.
  Officials say the woman, who has a cognitive impairment, was last wearing a black hoodie with a black undershirt with a dinosaur wearing a Santa hat and black pants with two scars on her knees from surgery.
  Her disappearance poses a threat to her own health and safety, DPS says. If
  
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• Missing Kerr County woman last seen in Buda found safe

  16-12-2016 21:35 via kxan.com
  
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) — A woman missing from Kerr County last seen early Friday morning in Buda has been found safe.
  Janet Moseley, 73, was seen driving a red 2012 Honda Fit with Texas license plate DC1N846 at 1 a.m. in Buda.
  Officials say the woman, who has a cognitive impairment, was last wearing a black hoodie with a black undershirt with a dinosaur wearing a Santa hat and black pants with two scars on her knees from surgery.
  Her disappearance posed a threat to her own health and safe
  
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• Texas sweeps Nebraska to advance to second straight national championship match

  16-12-2016 21:14 via kxan.com
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ebony Nwanebu had 15 kills to help No. 4 Texas beat top-ranked Nebraska in three sets in the NCAA women’s volleyball semifinals.
  Paulina Prieto-Cerame added 15 kills in Texas’ 25-18, 25-23, 25-21 victory.
  The Longhorns (27-4) will face Stanford in the final. The Cardinal beat Minnesota in four sets in the first semifinal.
  “We have a lot of self-confidence as a team going into it,” Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said. “I’ve been to a lo
  
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• Texas teen who killed self in front of parents still being bullied

  16-12-2016 20:50 via kxan.com
  
  TEXAS CITY, TX (AP) – Just days after an 18-year-old girl shot herself in front of her parents after being relentlessly cyberbullied, her family says the harassment started up again.
  Brandy Vela’s family says cyberbullying pushed the 18-year-old over the edge, leading her to shoot herself in the chest at the family’s Texas City home as family members watched.
  Her father, Raul Vela, said she had been receiving abusive text messages for months from bullies using an untraceable sm
  
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• Lake Travis Cavaliers getting proper send-off

  16-12-2016 20:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A devastating loss to Katy High kept the  Lake Travis Cavaliers from being state champions last year, but this year, the team is laser focused on making sure they win their final game against the Woodlands Highlanders.
  On Friday afternoon, the Lake Travis community and Cavaliers supporters are gathering at the Hill Country Galleria at 2 p.m. to send the team off to Dallas in style. The football players will take part in a “Walk of Champions” led by the
  
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• Lake Travis Cavaliers get proper send-off

  16-12-2016 20:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A devastating loss to Katy High kept the Lake Travis High School Cavaliers from being state champions last year, but this year, the team is laser focused on making sure they win their final game against the Woodlands Highlanders.
  On Friday afternoon, the Lake Travis community and Cavaliers supporters are gathering at the Hill Country Galleria at 2 p.m. to send the team off to Dallas in style. The football players will take part in a “Walk of Champions” led
  
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• 116 new DPS troopers hitting the Texas highways

  16-12-2016 19:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A sea of cowboy hats filled the room at the Texas Department of Public Safety graduation on Friday.
  After completing 23 weeks of training, 116 Texas Highway Troopers will now patrol the state’s roads. Applause swept across the room as the troopers took the stage at the Great Hills Baptist Church.
  Ricardo Vergara and his twin brother graduated side-by-side. They will both be stationed in Del Rio, Texas.
  Ricardo Vergara and his brother.READ: Husband and wife comple
  
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• Ruling reversed in Meagan Work case, her statements can be used

  16-12-2016 18:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An appeals court opinion on Friday has reversed a trial court’s order to suppress statements Meagan Work made to police while they investigated her missing son, 3-year-old Colton Turner, in 2014. The decision appears to be a blow to Work’s defense.
  Turner was found buried in a shallow grave on Sept. 12, 2014, two days after Work was taken into custody for questioning in Williamson County.
  During the search for Colton, police held Work and question
  
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• Group home worker accused of injuring special needs man

  16-12-2016 18:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A worker for a group home in South Austin is accused of injuring a man with special needs while on duty.
  Allen Thomas, 23, is facing charges for injury to a disabled person, which is a second degree felony. According to the affidavit, on Aug. 22 the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and Adult Protective Services received a report of physical abuse by a Draco Services Inc. employee at the home on Roehampton Drive.
  The affidavit described
  
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• APD launches No Refusal initiative for the holidays

  16-12-2016 17:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the holiday season upon us, the Austin Police Department is reminding drivers to not drink and drive with their extended No Refusal DWI initiative.
  The enforcement will run from Dec. 15 through Jan. 1 at 5 a.m. During No Refusal, officers can apply for a search warrant to draw blood from drivers who are suspected to be impaired if they refuse to provide a breath or blood sample.
  “This holiday period is often associated with parties and gatherings in which alcohol
  
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• Major League Soccer wants your input on creating an Austin team

  16-12-2016 17:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is the largest city in the country without a major league sports franchise, but Major League Soccer (MLS) wants to potentially change that but before they do, they want to know what you think about bringing a professional sports team to Austin.
  The organization hired Barrett Sports Group, LLC, a management consulting firm, to evaluate the potential demand and support for a team in Central Texas. The survey asks about potential team and stadium projects to help M
  
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• Lake Travis QB Charlie Brewer wins Texas AP player of year

  16-12-2016 16:49 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — Charlie Brewer has a little something to call his own in the decorated family history of playing quarterback in Texas.
  The Lake Travis High School senior was named the 2016 Texas Associated Press Sports Editors player of the year Friday, making his school the first to win the award twice. Garrett Gilbert won in 2008.
  Brewer’s quarterbacking family includes his Cotton Bowl-winning father at Texas and his two-time state champion brother at Lake Travis. He will chase his o
  
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• Kyle city manager declines offer of city-owned home

  16-12-2016 16:22 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers has declined the city’s offer to buy him, and future city managers, a home. Sellers says he does not think this is a good political move and will cause more divisions than he wants to see.
  He made the announcement in Friday’s special meeting where the Kyle City Council was set to vote on the item. After Sellers voiced his concerns, the council, in a 5-0 vote, decided not to buy the home in the Cypress Forest neighborhood
  
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• Kyle city manager declines offer for city to buy him a home

  16-12-2016 16:22 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers has declined the city’s offer to buy him a home. Sellers says he does not think this is a good political move and will cause more divisions than he wants to see.
  He made the announcement in Friday’s special meeting where the Kyle City Council was set to vote on the item. After Sellers voiced his concerns, the council, in a 5-0 vote, decided to not buy the home in the Cypress Forest neighborhood as well as denying the approval
  
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• Police: Woman stole baby Jesus, told hospital it was neglected

  16-12-2016 16:00 via kxan.com
  
  BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Police say a woman stole baby Jesus from a Nativity scene in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and dropped the figurine off at a hospital with a note explaining that the baby had been “neglected” by his parents, “Joseph and Mary Christ.”
  Police say 49-year-old Jacqueline Ross told them it was a joke, but they aren’t laughing. She was identified from surveillance video and is jailed on charges of theft and institutional vandalism.
  Police say she we
  
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• Police: Woman stole baby Jesus from Bethlehem, told hospital it was neglected

  16-12-2016 16:00 via kxan.com
  
  BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Police say a woman stole baby Jesus from a Nativity scene in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and dropped the figurine off at a hospital with a note explaining that the baby had been “neglected” by his parents, “Joseph and Mary Christ.”
  Police say 49-year-old Jacqueline Ross told them it was a joke, but they aren’t laughing. She was identified from surveillance video and is jailed on charges of theft and institutional vandalism.
  Police say she we
  
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• Austin parents say schools leaving students out of special ed

  16-12-2016 14:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Parents say they are frustrated with special education services in their local school districts.
  The U.S. Department of Education is here in Austin to look into claims made by the Houston Chronicle that thousands of children were kept out of special ed programs across Texas.
  In the 2003 to 2004 school year, local districts had about ten-percent or more students taking Special Ed. That year, the Texas Education Agency set a target of 8-and-half percent and since then the num
  
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• Free Fun in Austin for weekend of Dec 16-18

  16-12-2016 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- If you’re looking to give you and your wallet a break from your holiday shopping, here are some ideas from Free Fun in Austin. 
  Buda Trail of Lights– Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6-10:00 p.m. Admission is FREE, including the shuttles that transport you from the Cabela’s parking lot to the front of the trail. Read about Heather’s experience here. Historic Stagecoach Park, 880 Main Street, Buda.
  Movie
  
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• North Carolina prosecutor: Fatal police shooting justified

  16-12-2016 13:40 via kxan.com
  
  ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina prosecutors say a white police sergeant was legally justified to use deadly force against a black man who had an assault-style rifle.
  Multiple media organizations report that Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams’s decision Thursday comes nearly six months after Jai “Jerry” Williams was shot nine times by Asheville police.
  Police said the 35-year-old Williams had an AR-15 rifle and had fired it in a public housing complex be
  
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• The coming of age question: ‘Is Santa real?’

  16-12-2016 13:30 via kxan.com
  
  (MEDIA GENERAL) — “Is Santa real?” It’s a question parents of young children would gladly avoid. The white-haired, plump, bearded man who travels throughout the night, eight reindeer in tow, delivering Christmas presents to all good children, “Is a lie!”
  The day Santa ceases to exist in a household can be quite emotional for a child. Rather than dread the inevitable, be prepared with these simple tips.
  Follow your child’s lead
  According to WebMD, there i
  
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• Man seriously burned in Travis County trailer fire

  16-12-2016 13:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Travis County man is in the hospital after suffering from serious burns during an early Friday morning fire.
  The fire broke out around 1:29 a.m. in a trailer on San Antonio Street, near Lake Travis. The Travis County Fire Chief, Robert Abbott, told KXAN he expects to know what started the fire later Friday afternoon.
  The flames were extinguished by 1:40 a.m. The man, estimated to be in his 30s, was waiting outside the trailer when firefighters arrived.
  A trauma alert was
  
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• Can’t pick a Christmas movie? Don’t worry, we’re here to help

  16-12-2016 13:22 via kxan.com
  
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (MEDIA GENERAL) — Christmas is coming up fast!
  **Cue panic**
  It’s OK, calm down! You’ll get all your shopping done. I mean, this week is why you pay all that money for Amazon Prime!
  Now that that’s settled—grab your sweetie pie, some boozy hot cocoa, and light a fire—it’s time for a Christmas movie marathon!
  And hey, you can stop aimlessly scrolling through Netflix wondering which holiday flick to watch. It’s the season o
  
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• Russia claims Aleppo evacuations are ‘completed’

  16-12-2016 13:16 via kxan.com
  
  BEIRUT (AP) — Russia is claiming that all women and children have been taken out of eastern Aleppo and that a final sweep by the Syrian military is underway to clear out the last remaining rebels in the city — though there is no evidence on the ground of this.
  A statement on Friday from the Russian military’s Center for Reconciliation in Syria says the evacuations have been “completed.” It came shortly after the Syrian government said it was suspending the evac
  
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• Uptick in cold cases, home issues as Texas braces for temperature drop

  16-12-2016 13:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the holiday season upon us, that means a drop in temperatures and a rise in fevers as people are catching more than the holiday spirit.
  There has been a roller coaster ride of weather in Austin lately, which can do damage on the body and the home. Central Texas doctors are already seeing a rise in patients suffering from colds.
  Doctors at Baylor Scott and White are reporting a spike in cold and flu cases in Austin. When temperatures go from cold to warm and back, docto
  
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• Deaf man proposes to girlfriend with Santa’s help

  16-12-2016 12:44 via kxan.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A deaf couple got engaged with the help of Santa Claus at Jefferson Pointe Mall Thursday evening.
  Sean Sikes proposed to his girlfriend Mikki Bergman at the mall because she loves shopping and the holiday season and so he wanted to have Santa involved. Sean said he had the ring for the last month and had been planning when to propose ever since.
  Sean finally settled on a plan Thursday morning around 10 a.m. to propose to his girlfriend at the mall. He texted
  
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• Souper Bowl of Caring tackling hunger for Central Texans in need

  16-12-2016 12:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One in four children statewide and one in six Central Texans are at risk of going hungry every day, which is higher than the national average.
  These empty stomachs are what is fueling one of the largest fundraisers at the Central Texas Food Bank. Souper Bowl of Caring is a massive month-long food-drive that starts on Jan. 6 and ends on Super Bowl Sunday. Registration begins Dec. 16.
  Learn more or donate here 
  The event combines Central Texans love of football with the
  
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• Ridesharing drivers who fail background checks can now appeal

  16-12-2016 11:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Drivers who failed criminal background checks could soon be back on the road, driving you. Austin City Council members signed off on an appeal process Thursday to give drivers from ridesharing companies to taxis and limos a second chance to keep their permits.
  Council members voted unanimously in favor of giving drivers seeking or renewing authorization to drive a vehicle for hire the opportunity to appeal a permit denial.
  The move gives the transportation director the
  
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• City council brings back appeal process for drivers with criminal histories

  16-12-2016 11:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Drivers who failed criminal background checks could soon be back on the road, driving you. Austin City Council members signed off on an appeal process Thursday to give drivers from ridesharing companies to taxis and limos a second chance to keep their permits.
  Council members voted unanimously in favor of giving drivers seeking or renewing authorization to drive a vehicle for hire the opportunity to appeal a permit denial.
  The move gives the transportation director the
  
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• Hays County arrests 9 in child support roundup

  16-12-2016 06:08 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that nine people were arrested for violating their court order to pay child support in a Hays County roundup.
  Wednesday morning’s roundup was led by the Hays County Precinct 1 Constable David Peterson, who dispatched three teams of deputy constables to track down non-compliant parents before they had a chance to leave their homes for the day, a statement from the attorney general read. The attorney general&r
  
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• More than the Score: Lake Travis heading to state

  16-12-2016 05:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rick Cantu from the Austin American Statesman joins Roger Wallace on More than the Score to break down the Lake Travis season along with Cedar Ridge’s coach Shawn Bell being hired as a new Baylor coach.
  
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• Remains found in coal chute identified as AWOL soldier from Texas base

  16-12-2016 04:56 via kxan.com
  
  COCHISE, Ariz. (AP) — Human remains found six months ago in the coal chute of an Arizona generating station have been identified as an AWOL soldier from a Texas military base.
  Cochise County Sheriff’s officials say 21-year-old Devon Lee Ward was a private stationed at Fort Bliss before being listed as absent without leave in June.
  They say remains were found June 27 in one of three coal rotary plows at the Apache Generating Station near Cochise.
  Deputies reported finding bones and bo
  
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• Controversial The Grove development approved by city council

  16-12-2016 04:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The controversial Grove at Shoal Creek development has won approval from City Council. Developers have been working on project approval for two years.
  The 76-acre Grove at Shoal Creek development is going to be built near Bull Creek Road and 45th Street.
  KXAN reported last week that developers agreed to scale back plans for office spaces in the multi-use development in Austin after taking community feedback into consideration.
  The project planners, ARG Bull C
  
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• Pflugerville waterpark will reopen under new name, operator

  16-12-2016 03:30 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — City Council approved a transfer of the lease of Hawaiian Falls waterpark to a new operator.
  The park will open under a new name, Typhoon Texas Waterpark, in May 2017 with a multi-million dollar transformation, city officials said.
  The city and community development corporation say they expect to finalize an agreement soon that will allow the new operator to break ground quickly on the renovation project.
  “The Pflugerville waterpark needed investment
  
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• Therapy cuts impact Texas’ most vulnerable kids

  16-12-2016 02:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — Hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to therapy payments for kids with disabilities are set take effect Thursday.
  The state’s cut in Medicaid reimbursement rates is expected to greatly reduce the number of therapists who treat kids with disabilities in Texas. “We will address those needs. Those parents should not lose sleep over this,” said Sen. Charles Perry.
  The Republican out of Lubbock said the rate cut is “internally” and “cont
  
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• Rep. Lloyd Dogget: Commission needs to look into Russian hacking reports

  16-12-2016 00:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas lawmakers are calling for a commission to investigate Russian President Vladmir Putin’s connection to the email hacks during the Presidential election.
  “The fact that this is now tied with great confidence by the intelligence community to Mr. Putin personally suggests that it’s at another level,” U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said.
  Doggett is advancing the call for a bi-partisan committee to investigate the claims in the House of
  
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• Breaion King refiles lawsuit against city of Austin

  16-12-2016 00:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Breaion King, the woman seen on dash camera video being slammed to the ground by an Austin police officer in June 2015, has refiled her lawsuit against the city of Austin.
  The lawsuit, which also lists the officer, Brian Richter, as a defendant, was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks in October. He found King’s claims of racism and excessive force against the city were made “without any specific factual allegation.” However, King was given the opt
  
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